--- title: Mastercam Reviews meta_title: 'Mastercam Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 26 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Mastercam works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.1 review_count: 26 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-06-22' parent_category: name: CAD & PLM url: https://www.g2.com/categories/cad-plm --- # Mastercam Reviews **Vendor:** Mastercam **Category:** [Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/computer-aided-manufacturing-cam) **Average Rating:** 4.1/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 26 ## About Mastercam Mastercam is a comprehensive CAD/CAM solution specifically designed to assist users in the manufacturing sector with the creation and optimization of toolpaths for CNC machining. This software has become an essential resource for engineers and machinists, enabling them to convert digital designs into high-precision, tangible products efficiently. With a legacy that spans several decades, Mastercam has established itself as a pioneer in manufacturing technology, serving a diverse array of industries, including aerospace, automotive, and medical devices. The primary audience for Mastercam includes manufacturers ranging from small startups to large enterprises. It is particularly beneficial for professionals engaged in the design and production of complex components, where precision and efficiency are critical. Mastercam's capabilities extend beyond basic machining tasks, allowing users to perform intricate operations such as multi-axis machining and advanced cutting strategies. This versatility makes it an indispensable tool for those aiming to optimize their production processes while adhering to high-quality standards. One of Mastercam's notable features is its Dynamic Motion technology, which optimizes tool engagement during the machining process. This innovation significantly enhances machining efficiency, prolongs tool life, and reduces cycle times. By minimizing the time required for the production of complex parts, manufacturers can meet stringent deadlines and boost overall productivity. Additionally, the software's modular design allows users to select specific modules tailored to their operational requirements, such as Mill, Lathe, Wire, and Router, ensuring that they invest only in the functionalities that are pertinent to their work. Another significant advantage of Mastercam is its extensive post-processor library, which offers compatibility with a wide variety of CNC machines. This feature streamlines the transition from design to production, reducing the risk of errors that may arise from machine incompatibility. By providing a seamless link between design intent and machine execution, Mastercam helps manufacturers avoid costly mistakes and minimizes setup times, thereby enhancing operational efficiency. Furthermore, Mastercam promotes a collaborative ecosystem through its network of certified resellers and educational resources. Mastercam University offers training programs tailored to users of all skill levels, ensuring they can fully leverage the software's capabilities. The open architecture of Mastercam also invites third-party developers to create specialized solutions, further enhancing the software's adaptability to meet the evolving challenges of modern manufacturing. Through these integrated features, Mastercam not only supports manufacturers in achieving their production goals but also solidifies its position as a leader in the dynamic landscape of contemporary manufacturing. ## Mastercam Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users find Mastercam to be **easy to use** , appreciating its intuitive interface and extensive toolpath options. (12 reviews) - Users appreciate the **robust tooling options** in Mastercam, enhancing their CNC milling and turning efficiency. (6 reviews) - Users value the **user-friendly interface** of Mastercam, enhancing efficiency and simplifying the machining process. (5 reviews) - Users value the **seamless CAD integration** of Mastercam, making it superior for CNC machining and design. (4 reviews) - Users appreciate the **performance and efficiency** of Mastercam, enhancing productivity with fast simulations and user-friendly workflows. (4 reviews) - Customer Support (3 reviews) - Learning (3 reviews) - Powerful (3 reviews) - 3D Modeling (2 reviews) - Accuracy (2 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users find the **difficult learning curve** of Mastercam challenging, requiring significant time and practice to master. (11 reviews) - Users often struggle with **feature limitations** , such as the need for an a la carte option and improved browsing. (5 reviews) - Users find the **complex interface** challenging, with difficult navigation and confusing symbols impacting usability and efficiency. (4 reviews) - Users find Mastercam to be **incredibly expensive** , making it less accessible for smaller industries despite its productivity. (4 reviews) - Users face significant **software bugs and issues** with Mastercam, including crashes and long waits for support and updates. (4 reviews) - Inadequate Support (3 reviews) - Complex Workflow (2 reviews) - Drawing Issues (2 reviews) - Assembly Issues (1 reviews) - High Resource Usage (1 reviews) ## Mastercam Reviews ### 1. Powerful **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** michael v. | Engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 12, 2023 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** Works well with other software. Also it is extremely easy to design in 2.5D **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** Takes a lot of memory to run. Sometimes can lock up if you don't have enough. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** Getting product to the shop floor more efficiently. ### 2. worse sales representative **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** EVERTON C. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 27, 2023 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** I have been working with Mastercam for over ten years, I like to use software that is always innovative. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** The representative of my region Cimquest Inc. , has the worst and slowest service I have ever used; a simple quotation takes more than 30 days, I bought a post almost two months ago, and they take more than five weeks to send me the first, standard version, and now I have six weeks waiting for the changes because the version they sent me is full of errors, I wonder if Martercam really cares about its customers **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** n/a ### 3. Works Great **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Semiconductors | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 28, 2023 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** Easy to use, Works well with lots of toolpath options available. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** Some toolpaths can be a little tricky to get them to do what you want. Overall not many issues though. There are some better options for milling toolpaths but the cost is very high for those compared to mastercam. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** Finding new ways to machine prototype parts. Lots of ways to get things done just need to use your imagination and put it to work. ### 4. Great Cad Cam software a cut above the rest **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Scott C. | Machinist, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 31, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** Mastercam takes the guesswork out of cnc machining. the program is easy to use and intuitive. the best cad cam software bar none. its better than other software in its user friendlyness you cant find anywhere else. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** big downside is that it’s incredibly expensive and rightfully so with how productive it is. also you have to spend a great deal of time learning and practicing to use the software and be able to benefit from it. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** I realize that mastercam is a great benefit in speeding up the process of making programs directly to the cnc machine. i can build wireframe dimensioning, and make tool paths easily. ### 5. nothing really special for the money **Rating:** 2.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Automotive | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 22, 2022 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** some niche toolpaths included, fast simulation **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** confusing, tiny symbols with partly questionable appearance. 5x tool orientation unnecessarily complicated. weak construction/modeling part a correct CAD system is essential for the CAM department (more complex raw part construction modifying production models) **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** - ### 6. Incredible software to design and produced products through CNC **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ahmad Mustafa A. | Planning Engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 30, 2021 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** Contour Mesh Product Design and Machining Real-time Simulation **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** Conversion of 3D Designed Product from AutoCAD **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) machining of various products Incredible software to design and produced products through CNC. ### 7. Modern Mastercam **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sean C. | CNC Programmer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 26, 2020 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** When Mastercam moved away from the "X" line, and into an annual update and naming scheme, the software gained excellent reliability. New also, is a stable, and intuitive solid model editing suite. The improved support of 3d models dramatically improved 3d machining toolpathing, while retaining older simpler paths for when a full blown model is unncessary. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** There are still a great deal of tool path options that are available through bundles when only individual options may be needed by a user. An a la carte option would be beneficial. **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** Be sure to fully evaluate your needs prior to licensing. Don't forget to budget for a complete and well thought out Post-Processor. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** The simplicity of the modeling suite make manufacturing complex geometries much easier, now that there is no longer a need to transfer files from CAD to external CAM software. ### 8. Complete tool library and custom tool support for CNC programming **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 30, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** User-friendly interface and simulation Can generate programs for turning and milling a common interface and workflow across modules leading to a smooth transition from one machine to another Popular solids modeling interface Convenient Mastercam parameter screens Minimized learning curve Preferred machining strategies Make your entire shop faster and more efficient It is most widely used software **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** Simulation is not good Sometimes tooling that we have on shop floor is having different dimensions than actual ones so we have to fill data manually It is too costly for small cap industries Standardization of my database of CAD files with affects the quality of my NC programming There is no forum for sharing knowledge about this software where we can get answers from machinists, engineers, and other personnel in the manufacturing industry across the globe **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** Best CAM software for the manufacturing company **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** CNC programming for lathe and milling operation for gear machining and hobbing processes We can develop programming just with the AutoCAD/ Solidworks files available from the design department which is already available and just we need to do is to generate different tool paths considering the tools, lubrication, type of operation, feed, speed, depth of cut and rpm of the machine. It is very user friendly, easy to use it increases the production expenses and reduces the manufacturing costs. It also reduces the burden of the operator as he does not need to develope the program everytime new product comes . ### 9. MasterCAM CAD/CAM Software **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Stephen w. | CAD Tech, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 09, 2020 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** MasterCAM is a great software solution for both beginner and advanced modeling and automated CNC programming. Tool tips and pop up menus help with learning to use the poweerful modeling tools while advanced users can increase workflow with keystroke entries. MasterCAM is great for 3d modeling of parts and is easy to jump into as a beginner. there are good instructions for using the different 2D and 3D tools with illustrated tables giving a visual of how changing the different variables will affect the drawing/model. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** MasterCAM can fall slightly short of the needs of highly technical ind geometrically complex short run complex parts. Advanced machinists may feel held back or constrained by the automation tools for generating and compiling G-code and may prefer software that models based of of manually developed coding. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** I have created and modified existing files to create new tooling for cnc mill tables and tool holders for lathes. By being able to import drawings and models for parts I am able to create custom fixture that may be used for multiple stages of machining. ### 10. CAD/CAM software for the future **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Daryl B. | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 27, 2020 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** The ability to import various file formats with just a few clicks, and be able to reorient in space easily. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** They could improve the posting of G code to not post unneccessary lines of code. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** The ability to draw an object with unknown coordinates initially, but find them through measuring features within the software. This way you could use such for DRO manufacturing. ### 11. Supporting Mastercam **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 27, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** It works as advertised. There are multiple different add-ins that can be applied making this a very versatile product. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** Sometimes there are issues updating the yearly license maintenance. It never goes right the first time BUT - since you buy this product thru a 3rd party vendor, the support we have is amazing. **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** This is a pro-level program that requires training/education in 3D Computer aided drafting. This is NOT for entry level people. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** CNC Machine programming for aerospace manufacturing. ### 12. Good insight of the details than neer to be controled **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Héctor G. | Design Engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 16, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** That i gives a good and detailed control over the parts that are built, allowing for a bettter resolution and a good quality **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** Some features are not too easy to find, browsing could be improved **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** When i first started using it, I wanted to aproach it the same way as other design softwares, but found that it is easier to use and used to it than the other´s tend to be. Once you get used to using it, creating some more complex shapes can be acheived and with this, is has much more use. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** Neede to create custom joints in the CNC for a project and the geometry was not conventional, i was abble to get a good result for this thanks to the details that the sofware gives ### 13. Got trained in class and used MasterCam at Carnegie Mellon for research projects. **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Akshay H. | PhD Student, Research, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 02, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** Widely used, several tutorials and well supported. GUI is simplistic. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** While simplistic, the GUI is not highly intuitive and takes some time to get used to. **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** Going over basic tutorials on Youtube was very useful. Has most of the tools inbuilt in its library making it easier to setup. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** Used Mastercam for prototyping components used in research. The major benefit was the availability of tutorials online and youtube videos which made it easy to understand the process of using the software to get the right G-code for the CNC machines we have. ### 14. MasterCam for CNC **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Furniture | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 28, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** One of the best software ever used for CNC production. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** Being a good application, I always recommend this software.but at my present work using alphacam. **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** Good application 👍 **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** Multi axis CNC machine programming and designing. ### 15. A Great Tool For CAM **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jason F. | Student, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 28, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** An abundance of bits and tools in its library with a great amount of flexibility for creating new tools, works well for CNC milling and turning, as well as exporting NC code. Easy import from other CAM/CAD programmes. Good for toolpath simulation. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** Big learning curve, the process of creating 3D object might need simplification, presets in toolpath settings sometimes can be far off. Program occasionally crashes. Toolpaths need better management. **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** Consider taking an online course on Mastercam **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** Exporting model for CNC mill and lathe, simulation works great for troubleshooting. ### 16. Review on MasterCam **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ravi B. | Software Programmer, Computer Software, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 16, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** It is very easy to learn and implement. User interface is good. Availability of training at reseller. Affordable price. Post processor are editable. Effective accuracy. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** The process of creating 3D objects needs modification. Toolpaths needs more management. **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** Great software use it **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** Programming time is decreased by 20%. All my programming related problems are solved by this tool. ### 17. Great software for making CAM programmes for CNC machines **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Design | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 20, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** It is very user friendly and the software can be basically used with anyone with little experience with machining operations **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** The software doesn't have that detail when compared to other softwares such as solidworks **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** If you're looking for userfriendly software this is the best one for CAM and EDM machines. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** The mastercam software is great for the CNC EDM wirecut and other EDM machines. ### 18. Code with Ease. If you know basic tooling, Mastercam is a breeze. **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 11, 2018 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** Over the years, mastercam has become more and more user friendly each version. Now it even will optimize feeds and speeds for some of the High Speed Multi Axis CNC Machinery on the market today **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** Going from the older mastercams staight into X5 took some learning, as the layouts and feel of the controls in the software were much different from Mastercam X2 the previous version I had access to at work. Although the newer look is more user friendly when you get to know it, also the animations for the simulations on tool paths has greatly improved. **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** Try out other softwares such as bobcad, or gibbs, you will always go back to Mastercam. It is super easy to use for someone with basic tooling knowledge. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** We have been able to decrease or programming time by around 20-30% using the older versions of mastercam, and this has been over a $50k savings which easily justifys the cost of Mastercam ### 19. User friendly **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Design | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 14, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** It’s easy to learn in and user interface is good. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** It’s not know to many people. It’s not famous . I think it should be know to everyone **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** I had to complete project and I was beginner. So I used mastercam to finish it on time ### 20. Great! **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Education Management | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 17, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** Easy to manage in the Massachusetts market since it originated here and got its start in this region. Our resellers provide the highest level of service, including product training, startup services, and ongoing support" - from their website which is great customer benefits **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** it can be tricky since this is based all over the region to stay in that connective bubble and it is extremely tricky at times especially for software purposes **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** connectability over countries is phenomenal ### 21. Used mastercam to use on a CNC **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 14, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** The best part is when I can have multiple set ups and also check the simulation instantly. It's just amazing how accurate it is. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** It could have more patterns in which the material removal can be done. Something that would suggest what tool to use to optimize the machining timing would be great too. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** G code can instantly be done rather than writing manually like in the olden days ### 22. Good money for your buck **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Nanotechnology | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 16, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** Robust Well defined, deep CNC knowledge A bit too late to use friendly user interface **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** Because it goes deep on the settings it is also a bit tiresome, but once you get it going its great **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** CNC machining of complex geometries, using different but correlated techniques, being sure the work you already processed is not damaged. ### 23. More than 5 years working eperience **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 15, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** some product design output purpose master cam was used for machining process generation. It is very user friendly application. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** Some times calculation required extra time more than as expected. **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** See the tutorial at first then start working. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** Prototype model making before going to customer end. We can check the quality output from this application. ### 24. Review **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Medical Devices | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 15, 2019 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** Compatibility with most CAD Training available at resellers Editable post processors Price **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** Can be tedious. Drawing capability needs improvement. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** Program motion systems for multi axis laser tube cutting. Quickly generate CNC output for different motion systems and versions ### 25. Great Product **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Machinery | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 26, 2018 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** The ability to send all the necessary data to our machines for creating parts. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** The cost is hard to budget for if you don't plan for it and have a good amount of sales to cover the costs. **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** Double check everything that you need. It is easy to miss one little thing before sending to your machine and then the whole part needs to be scrapped. **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** We utilize Mastercam to work on our parts that we have to make individually for our compressors. It is cheaper to make some of them then it is to buy them externally. ### 26. Great software for 2D cam **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Research | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 18, 2018 **What do you like best about Mastercam?** I mostly used this for 2D cam programming. It was simple and straight forward. **What do you dislike about Mastercam?** 3D is more complex than in other cam software I have used. In 2D, highlighting or selecting features was often difficult **Recommendations to others considering Mastercam:** Very good software for simple cam and tool path generation **What problems is Mastercam solving and how is that benefiting you?** Generating 2D tool paths for CNC machining ## Mastercam Discussions - [Is mastercam free for students?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-mastercam-free-for-students) - [How much does mastercam cost?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-much-does-mastercam-cost) - [What is Mastercam software?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-mastercam-software) - [Information abt mastercam](https://www.g2.com/discussions/32414-information-abt-mastercam) - 1 upvote - [how we can use strategies like Dynamic Motion Technology achieving 20% – 75% faster cycle times?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/29420-how-we-can-use-strategies-like-dynamic-motion-technology-achieving-20-75-faster-cycle-times) - [View Mastercam pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/mastercam/reviews?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-06-23+20%3A42%3A31+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=2ea4da8b-39ec-433b-b8ea-83811d089e3b&secure%5Btoken%5D=b0d938d7c2d680ecaf9b0052f21233a4e1768c491316a48003ea6251046da0d9&format=llm_user) ## Mastercam Features **CAD to CAM** - CAD-CAM Import - CAM Data Exchange - CAD/CAM Compatibility **CNC Programming** - CNC Workflows - CNC Feature Recognition - Programming Control **Machining** - Job Set-up - Operations - Tooling and Toolpaths ## Top Mastercam Alternatives - [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-fusion/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (509 reviews) - [NX CAM](https://www.g2.com/products/nx-cam/reviews) - 4.4/5.0 (294 reviews) - [Designcenter Solid Edge](https://www.g2.com/products/designcenter-solid-edge/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (588 reviews)